Miracles and Medical Marijuana

Is it our right to deny someone the medication they need in order for them to be free of pain and illness? No its not and yes, I’m talking about medical marijuana. We’ve all heard stories of the miracles of medical marijuana, especially the story of the little girl, Charlotte Figi, who was suffering from epilepsy but was immediately relieved of her seizures when she was administered a high dose of medical marijuana in the form of cannabidiol oil. There are a lot of misconceptions and negative stereotypes relating to cannabis because of the psychotropic effects, but in the case of cannabidiol, CBD, there are no psychotropic effects.
First and foremost, marijuana should be removed from the schedule I list of drugs and should be placed in the schedule II category, because research has shown that marijuana does in fact have medicinal uses. In order for more research to be done on the medicinal benefits of marijuana, changing it to a schedule II drug is necessary because it will make it more easily accessible for research labs.
There continues to be a lot of controversy around this subject because there is not a lot known about the short-term and long-term symptoms of cannabis and research has shown that cannabis can have effects on the developing brain. But ultimately, if medical marijuana can help other people like Charlotte enjoy life, then this is all for a great cause.
To avoid stereotypes and regulations on marijuana, alternatives to using cannabis as a medical treatment have been a “hot topic” in recent research. This past week in our Neurochemistry course we talked about endocannabinoids, which are molecules made in our bodies that bind the same receptors as cannabis. The two forms of endocannabinoids synthesized by our bodies are 2-AG and AEA, which are fatty acids formed from the plasma membranes of our cells.
Cannabis has been shown to help relieve symptoms of nausea and vomiting due to cancer treatments, stop seizures, decrease the growth of tumors, increase or suppress appetite, and reduce chronic pain. With this knowledge, we can target the endocannabinoid system and develop medications to treat these symptoms with decreased toxicity and without the psychotropic effects of cannabis. In the case of decreasing tumor growth, endocannabinoids can induce cell death by binding CB1 or CB2 receptors on the surface of cells and as a result induce modulatory events within the cell.
Ultimately my message is, let’s educate America and break down the stereotypes surrounding marijuana, so we can help more people like Charlotte!
Sources:
http://www.alternet.org/drugs/8-miraculous-medical-marijuana-survival-stories